KTM Expands India Footprint And Bajaj Alliance With 10 Premium Motorcycles

The Austrian bikemaker has also decided to venture into motorsports in India with plans to set up a training facility in Bengaluru.

KTM first entered India in 2012 with the KTM 200 Duke and quickly followed it up with the wildly popular KTM 390 Duke. Today, it sells 12 motorcycles in India. In the past decade or so, KTM has sold 4.5 lakh motorcycles in the country from 450 dealerships. About 1.2 million India-made KTMs have been sold globally in the past decade or so.

"We are not only expanding our range but also enhancing service and experience standards with flagship stores in key cities," Manik Nangia, president-probiking at Bajaj Auto, said in a statement on Thursday. "We are fully driven to deliver the quality our customers expect."

In 2007, Bajaj Auto International Holdings bought a 14.5% stake in KTM Power Sports AG to kickstart an alliance that's now into its third decade. By March 2020, Bajaj Auto had invested a total of Rs 1,219 crore for a 48% stake. In 2021, Bajaj Auto sold 46.5% of KTM's shares to Pierer Mobility AG in exchange for a 49% stake in the outfit led by Stefan Pierer.

As of date, Bajaj Auto holds a 49.9% stake in Pierer Bajaj AG, which in turn holds 78.16% stake in Pierer Mobility AG — owner of KTM, Husqvarna, GasGas and MV Agusta brands of motorcycles.